Liquid-dispensing system



Dec. 29, 1925. l 1,567,570

J. ,1. CATRON LIQUID DISPENSING SYSTEM Filed August 8, 1924 llllllIl/Illl Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

JOHN J'. CATRON, 0F BONE-TAM, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR T0 CATRON MANUFACTURING COM- PANY, OF BONI-IAM, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OE TEXAS.

LIQUID-DISPEN SING SYSTEM.

Application led August 8, 1924. Serial No. 730,977.

T all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, J oHN J. CATRoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bonham, in the county of Fannin and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Dispensing Sys tems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and uscful improvements in liquid dispensing systems.

The invention has particularly to do with means for storing and supplying liquid, such as gasoline, to the measuring and dispensing elements of a liquid dispenser by means of compressed air, and relates more especially to that type known as siphonic.

The object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary or pressure dispensing tank in connection with a main or storage tank and at a lower level whereby the liquid may be `siphoned from the storage tank to the pressure tank; together with means controlled by the level of the fluid in the pressure tank for areventing breaking oit' the iphon, should t e liquid in the pressure tank reach a predetermined low level.

A particular object of the invention is to provide means for releasing air, automatically, from the siphoning and liquid discharge pipes, whereby air traps will be eliminated and the siphon will be automatically maintained.

An important object is to provide means in the pressure tank controlled by the level of the liquid therein to close the lower end of the Siphon line, when the storage tank becomes empty, thereby supporting liquid in the siphon line and automatically priming the siphon line when the storage tank is again filled.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the junction between the siphon pipe and the discharge pipe directly over the suction pipe of the Siphon line, whereby liquid discharged from the pressure tank through the siphon pipe, will fill the suction pipe, thus automatically priming the siphon line.

Another object of the invention is to provide means controlled by the level o 'the v liquid in the pressure tank for automatically lclosing the lower end et the Siphon line to exclude compressed air and liquid tljiere-roin .when the liquid ,in the pressure tank reaches a predetermined low level or when the liquid and sediment are expelled through the clean-out pipe.

A construction designed to carry outl the invention together with other novel features of the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following speciiication in which an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the parts oii a system involving my invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the float valve,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the foot valve, and

Fig. 4i is an enlarged sectional view of the check valve.

In the drawings the numeral design nates a horizontally disposed underground storage tank and 11 a relatively small auxiliary or pressure tank. The pressure tank is located below the storage tank as is shown in Fig. 1, so that liquid may he readily siphoned from the tank 10 into the tank 11. A liquid filling pipe 12 extends from the tank 10 to the groud line as does also, a vent pipe 13. The filling pipe is connected with the overflow pipe lll of the dispenser (not shown). This system is particularly adapted to be used in connection with the dispenser shown in my application Ser. No. 660,480, but is not limited to such use.

A suction pipe 15 extends vertically at one end of the storage tank, passing through a suitable plug 16 at the top of the tank. On the lower end of the suction pipe is screwed a foot valve 17 of suitable const-ruction (Fig. 3) and closing against a return or downward flow. A strainer 18 is mounted at the inlet of the foot valve and is immediately above the bottom of the tank. It will be seen that while liquid may be freely drawn up through the suction pipe, or a column of liquid supported therein, neither air or liquid can enter the storage tank through the suction pipe and foot valve.

Just above the plug 16 the pipe 15 enters the bottom of a T 19 and this is a very important feature of the invention. From the upper end of the T a liquid discharge pipe 20 leads to the dispenser (not shown) and includes a check valve 21 (Fig, et), closing against a back pressure above it. From the side ofthe-T 19 a siphon and discharge. line leads, being composed of a horizontal pipe 22 connected to the upper end of a vertical pipe 23. extendingdown through the topof the tank 11, which latterl is air-tight. At-` tention is called to the fact that liquid is siphoned from the storage tank t19-,i through the pipes 22 and 23 to the pressure tank 11, and is also expelled. by compressed air through said pipes to the T 19 and the pipe 20. When the liquid from the pipe 22fenters the Tl 19, it will fall in the suction pipe 15, unless the latter is -lledl with liquid, but air will pass up into the pipe 20, useat the check valve 21, and escape, this prevents air traps and assuresthe continuity of the siphon.

A compressed air supply pipe 24.enters the top of the pressure tank 11. A water bloW-off pipe 25 extends from the ground' line down into the pressure tank and termi-l nates near the bottom thereof. The upper end of thepipe25 isclosedv by a cap 26. By removing the cap, Water, sediment or other foreign matter maybe expelled through the pipe 25 by the compressed air supplied; tothe tank 11.

A very important feature ofthe invention resides inI a float valve 27 mountedon a lever 28 carried by a collar 29 screwed' on. the lovverend of the pipe 23. The` lever is pivotedy intermediate its endson a bracket 30v depending from` the. Collar so thatthe valve may seat against theundersideof thecolllar, when` theA lever` is brought toA a horizontal position. Onthe oppositeendof the lever from the valve., is mounteda iioat 31 of suilicient buoyancy to rise. with the.- level Vof the liquid and hold said.` valve normally open, both when the liquid; is under pressure and when it is free vfrom pressure. The liquid is discharged fromthe tankll through the pipes 22" and 23, as heretoforeexplained.

It will be. apparent that if `the fioat'fvalve Was not provided, the siphon linevvould always be open, either to :the admission .of fluidY under pressure or aii` under pressure. Vhen it is. desired -to clean out the pressure tank the` liquid is lowered to permit the valve 27 to closethe loweriend of the. pipe 23 and, thefcap 26isremovedrfrom theupper end,v4 of the pipe 25, thus when air under pressure is; admitted, from the pipe 24, the Water, sediment and; foreignrmatter will not be. forced up. into thel pipe 23, but Will befeX.- pelled through the blow-offpipe 25. If the pipe 23 Wasinot closed` it would be filled; with foreign` matter.

The most` important function of 'the ioat valve, however, :is to close the lower end of the Siphon-discharge lpipe 23.Wheny the.v liquid inthe tank 11 reaches-a iloav level from. any cause, such .asfthe storage tanln becoming empty., thereby. retaining; a column of vliquid in the and 23. and; maintaining ,the siphon. ty--thisarrangement justas soon. asthe air pressure isrelieved, the Weight of the column of liquid in the pipe 23 unseats the valve 27, so that the liquid from the siphon line flows back intothe pressure tank, the pipeV 24 Abecoming an air vent. The capacity of the pipes 22 and 23 is-much greater than that of the suction pipe and consequently when air pressure is again applied-to the liquid in the pressure tank, which has returned to said tank, said liquid Will be` forced into the suction line and the suction pipel 15, thus filled. The float Will again close so that theA siphon is primed.y

It is obvio-us thatfif the floatvvalve Was not provided the air under pressure would clear thel pipes 22 andY 23 and thev pipe 2O of liquid, up .tol thef check valve 21' or: above the same, thus breaking the siphon. The arrangement of T 19 'directly over the suction pipe 15 andthe checkvalvef21 above the y"l",

assures that liquid entering the T fromy the.

pipe22- will i'irstfall and fill the pipe`15 and air will passupvthrough the check valve,

thus relieving any air trap and providinga solidy column, of liquid;

In the operation of .thesystem liquid, such as gasoline, is introduced.through the blowoif pipe 25. after the storage tank 10` has been filled. Thewpressure; tank 11 being lled, the floatvalve 27 Will open. Air underqaressure isthen admittedl from the pipe 24;. The. liquid is vdisplaced from; the tank 11 up through the pipe23, pipe22 to the T 19,v from. which it iills thexsuctionepipe 15, after which. liquid passes up througlrthe pipe` and check valve. 21 tothe dispenser (not shown). The foot valveula' supports the liquid `in the pipe 15.

The pressure tank- 1\1-is.of Course, given n a Capacity considerably,greater than that of the. measuring receptacle of the dispenser, perhaps twice. as much Under ordi-nary circumstances the liquid in the pressure tank will not reach suclna loiv level as to close th'e valve 27. Thus each time. after the measuring receptacle is `filled the Siphon in the line will. setup aflow of .liquid from. the tank 10- tothe tank 11,7just assoon as the air pressure yis-relieved, whereby the tank 11 is filled.

When the storage tank 10 becomes-empty or for any otherfreason, suchas: holding theiair-linefopen so that theliquid is carried. back from .the measuringreceptacle through the. overflow. pipe 14, the: liquid .in thetank 11= reaches a low-level, the fioat 31 Vwilldrop and closef the. valve-27, thereby preventing further discharge ofeither liquid or air through the pipe 23 and leaving the entire Siphon filled kwith a solid column-ofiliquid.

Just as soon. as the air pressure in the tank 11 is relieved, the pipe 24 will become a vent and; the Weight of the columnv of `fiuid in. the pipe -23 will unseat the. valve so 'that the. liquid supportediisn the pipes 22 and 28, will iioiv back into the tank 11 and siphon the liquid from the pipe 15 also. It the tank 10 is empty, it is of course refilled. The next time compressed air is admitted to the pressure tank, it Will discharge the returned liquid through the pipes 23 and 22 to the T 19 and fill the pipe 15, thus automatically restoring the siphon by the priming of the line. The valve 27 Will of course again close when the liquid is lowered by restoring the Siphon, but as soon as the pressure in the tank 11 is relieved the liquid Will start ioWing back into the tank 11 and siphon the liquid from the tank 10. The foot valve 17 functions to prevent any liquid passing back into the tank 10 and the cheek valve 21 permits trapped air in the siphon to escape, but not to enter.

It is pointed out that the maintaining and restoring of the siphon is entirely auton'ratic and so long as sufficient liquid is held in the line it Will not be necessary to prime the system. iii/'lienever rthe system is primed the cap 26 is restored, but when it is desired to clean out the tank 11 the cap is removed and compressed air is admitted to said tank. The pipe 25 being open, the Water, sediment and foreign matter from the bottom of the tank Will be blown out through said pipe. Vhen the liquid reaches a low level the pipe 23 'will be closed by the valve 27, so that the air cannot enter.

Various changes and altera-tions as well as modifications may be made in carrying outrthe system, all Within the scope of the appended claims.

This application is in part a continuation of my application liled January 22, 1921, Ser. No. 439,138.

That I claim, is:

1. In a liquid dispensing system, the combination of a liquid storage tank, a pressure tank at a level below the sto-rage tank, a siphon line extending from the storage tank to the pressure tank, a portion of the siphon line serving as a pressure discharge line for the pressure tank for conveying liquid therefrom, and means at the lower end of the Siphon line in the pressure tank controlled by the level of the liquid in the pressure tank for closing the loiver end of the Siphon line when the liquid reaches a predetermined loiv level in the pressure tank and thus maintaining a siphon in the line.

2. In a liquid dispensing system, the combination of a liquid storage tank, a pressure tank at a level beloiv the storage tank, a vertical section pipe extending through the top ot the storage tank, a toot valve on the loiver end ot the suction pipe near the bottom of the storage tank for admitting liquid and suporting a column thereof in the suction pipe, a T-connection mounted on the upper end o'f the suction pipe, a discharge pipe leading from the top of the T-conneetion, a check valve in the discharge pipe above the T-conneetion, a iill pipe entering the storage tank, a vent pipe leading from the storage tank, a vertical Siphon line eX- tending through the top of the pressure tank and having a lateral branch connected with the side oi: the T-connection, a float valve on the lower end ot` the suction line in the pressure tank, a compressed air supply pipe entering the top of the pressure tank, and a blow-oit' pipe extending into the pressure tank and terminating near the bottom thereof.

3. In a liquid dispensing system, lthe combination with a liquid storage tank, an auxiliary tank, a siphon line extending from the storage tank into the auxiliary tank and having its longer leg in the latter, a valve operating to close said siphon line when the liquid reaches a predetermined level in said auxiliary tank, and an air supply pipe connected with Laid auxiliary tank.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

JOHN J. CATRON. 

